Time Hollow is an interactive novel in the vein of games like Phoenix Wright where the player talks to characters and examine areas to find clues and items to help them in their quest.
The story takes place with the player taking control of a young man by the name of Ethan Kairos, who discovers that his family has mysteriously disappeared and sets off to find them. He then comes across a strange looking hollow pen and acquires it where he learns its unique and magical property: the ability to open portals to the past. Using this pen, the player will take Ethan to the past in search of clues for his family and hopefully prevent the awful tragedy.
The gameplay mostly consists of exploring areas, searching for clues and items and encountering a plethora of different characters that can be talked to. Using these items and conversations with the various characters, the player must solve puzzles throughout the stages while using the stylus pen to draw portals to link the past and present and travel between the time rift.